LAYERING. The laying down of a branch, and covering with earth, in order to induce the formation of roots is termed layering. It used to be extensively practiced with all that class of plants, as carnations, that were supposed not to strike readily from cuttings, and indeed they do not, except under special conditions. But modern scientific horticulture has demonstrated that anrplant that will strike . from layers will do so from cuttings. Layered plants are stronger however, than those from cuttings. Layering is still quite common with some varieties of grapes, as the Delaware, for instance, that is shy in striking. In the farm garden it is a simple and easy way of propagating, and is done as follows: The branch or shoot to be operated on is cut with a rather long gash, say one or two inches in length, according to size. A sliver of i wood is thrust in to hold it apart. It is then bent down and laid in a trench so it may be covered two or three inches deep in moist earth, and firmly pegged in place. In the case of grape vines, the whole branch is covered, when it will generally form roots, and a separate plant at every joint. With carnations and that class of short stemmed plants, the cut portion is pegged down and covered, and the tip of the , shoot left out. The following cut will explain the manner of rooting a branch without severing it from the plant. It has been in use for many years with pot plants, and is also useful with hard wooded plants. Select the shoot to be operated upon, pass a small pot carefully over the branch, cut diagonally half' way through the branch, abont midway of the pot, with a long cut, hold this slit open with a chip, and pack the earth firmly about the branch, fastening the pot so it will not move. The details for layering the grape will answer for all plants that can be layered out of doors. They are as follows: For the propagation of plants for removal, the vine dresser selects such parts of the,hranches as may suit his purpose when he is going over his vineyard at the season of winter pruning. These
are left, instead of being cut off as in the regular trimming4and they must he so situated as to he easily bent down to the ground. After dressing the vine yard in the spring, these branches are either at once pegged down and buried in the soil, with the smaller twigs protruding, or shallow trenches are opened, into which the branch to be layered is simply pegged down, if it be a vigorous cane of the last year's growth. As the spring opens, the shoots must be then tied to a stake. As soon as the new wood at the lower joints begins to harden, mellow earth should be gradually drawn up to them, and they will immediately put forth a circle of roots from near their junc tion with the old shoot, which roots greatly aid their growth and relieve the mother vine. In the autumn, the layered branches may be taken up and divided, when every bud which has. forced up a shoot will be found to have become• a strong well-rooted plant; so that, in this way, a large increase may be made, and the roots, being in a circle, are well disposed for planting, and may be removed from the soil without injury. Layers should never be allowed to. remain attached to the parent vine after the first season, as they are believed to be injurious. It will also be perceived that this sort of robbery of a plant will materially affect its bearing; so• that, where cuttings grow readily, as is remark ably the case with the Catawba, Concord, etc., the plan is not generally pursued. With the Herbemont and the Schuylkill or Cape, which are difficult to grow from cuttings, and with new varieties which it is proposed to multiply, this plan is generally adopted. Some persons prefer layered plants to those grown from cuttings, on account of the arrangement of the roots. For home use, they are greatly to be preferred, because they may be brought into bearing much sooner than cuttings planted in the vineyard at the same time, and because a laige number may be grown from the old vines.